The legal system has been set up so that peers can determine the outcome of a dispute. These peers are supposed to form an impartial jury panel. However, due to the natural biases and life circumstances of people, one party may not necessarily receive a fair trial if the first 12 jurors were automatically seated without question. Therefore, the jury selection process is an important process is determining the fairness of the trial and maintaining impartiality of the jury.
During the jury selection process, counsel for both sides are allowed to ask each individual juror questions to determine the impartiality of the juror and the juror's ability to appropriately apply the laws to the facts of the case. This process is customarily referred to as “Voir Dire” which has a French origin and means “to speak the truth.” This process requires the attorneys and their staff to keep track of questions, answers, and their assessment of each prospect of juror. Oftentimes, notes are scribbled and passed around amongst a number of people. Notes on one juror can get mixed up with notes for another juror, or the notes can simply get lost. Watching an attorney fumble around with his notes can have a negative impact on the jurors as well as the client.
For the foregoing reasons there is a need for a jury selection system that allows the attorneys keep an organized record of the questions asked, the answers provided, and the assessment of each juror in order to keep the jury selection process efficient and effective.